I have a processor running at a frequency of 48MHz. So it completes 48 million complete waveforms per second. I do not understand what each wave form "does." Does each waveform have the "capability" of processing 1 bit of data??? I am also confused about how a clock signal actually makes information be processed? I may be getting ahead of myself here but I am very curios. Thanks for any help!

That makes more sense, but what is the limit? Your step two, "decode the instruction" could take 3 clock cycles, couldn't it? The processor can only do so much in one cycle right? I don't understand how a clock cycle can make some execution happen? Maybe it would make more sense if I new how it "orchestrated."

That makes more sense, but what is the limit? Your step two, "decode the instruction" could take 3 clock cycles, couldn't it? The processor can only do so much in one cycle right? I don't understand how a clock cycle can make some execution happen? Maybe it would make more sense if I new how it "orchestrated."

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Well... it depends. Some processors keep everything simple so each and every instruction takes the same number of clocks to complete. Some don't mind letting some complex instructions take extra clocks to complete.

Some cheat by using two instruction cycles to complete a single instruction.

Honestly, don't worry about it for now, unless you want to delve deep into processor architecture. May be best to just accept it for now until you get some more of the basics down and it all clicks into place.

That makes more sense, but what is the limit? Your step two, "decode the instruction" could take 3 clock cycles, couldn't it? The processor can only do so much in one cycle right? I don't understand how a clock cycle can make some execution happen? Maybe it would make more sense if I new how it "orchestrated."

Click to expand...

Decoding an instruction is straight forward using combinational circuitry (logic gates). It takes only a portion of a clock cycle to decode the instruction.

Modern microprocessors can do many things in the same cycle using a technique called "pipe-lining". Hence many things can be happening in the same cycle.